


Safer with You

by HoneyBeeNightmare



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, My First Fanfic, Reader has abilities, Slow Burn, reader was kidnapped and is freed by venom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:15:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23329840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HoneyBeeNightmare/pseuds/HoneyBeeNightmare
Summary: You only needed one chance. Just a small slip up in the tightly strewn security to escape. That's what you told yourself. What you had been telling yourself for the past few months. Even now, as you found yourself bound tightly to a chair in a research lab with those Life Foundation bastards examining you, you knew if you just had one chance to escape you could make it out of this alive. But the longer you stayed stuck in this place the slimmer that chance got. It had been six months so far. And even as you sat here, the voices of the scientists around you becoming nothing more than white noise, you started to wonder if this would be what you could expect for the rest of your life - an unfortunate dealing from fate that you would just have to deal with...
Relationships: Eddie Brock | Venom/Reader, Eddie Brock/Reader, Venom Symbiote (Marvel)/Reader, Venom/Reader
Comments: 22
Kudos: 472





	1. Chapter One

You only needed one chance. Just a small slip up in the tightly strewn security to escape. That's what you told yourself. What you had _been_ telling yourself for the past few months. Even now, as you found yourself bound tightly to a chair in a research lab with those Life Foundation bastards examining you, you knew if you just had one chance to escape you could make it out of this alive. But the longer you stayed stuck in this place the slimmer that chance got. It had been six months so far. And even as you sat here, the voices of the scientists around you becoming nothing more than white noise, you started to wonder if this would be what you could expect for the rest of your life - an unfortunate dealing from fate that you would just have to deal with...A stinging pain jolted you from your thoughts to your present situation.

"Come onnnn.” A voice above you drawled. “Just mutate and this can all end. I'm as tired at this as you are." The taunting voice told you, and you didn’t even need to look to know he was smiling.

You could only glare up at your abuser - the cloth tied around your mouth made sure you wouldn't be understood, but it was more so to keep you from biting your own tongue and bleeding out during the painful experiments than it was to actually silence you - you could scream for hours, and no one would find you in this place. You’d already tried...

Around you, the scientists observed your mental and physical readings from several screens, all muttering information to each other that you couldn't hope to understand, even after all the time that's passed. The only words that were often used that you could decipher were things like ‘serum, mutate, hypothesis, the subject’, all words that should be used on a government ordained project, not on a human being. _Not on you_.

"We know your abilities -” The observer, your abuser, spoke again, bringing your attention back to the forward. “If awoken - will be strong, perhaps stronger than anything we've ever seen. And if we can figure out how to control that ability, we'll be revolutionary." He explained, walking slowly around you. You wanted to roll your eyes, but barely even had the energy for that anymore.

It wasn't like this was new information after all. When you were first kidnapped by these lunatics they had explained it all to you - how the drug they synthesized and injected into your body would cause a mutation with enough physical or mental stress. You had to be kept alive, however barely, in order for this to work. The gave you the whole monologue, multiple times in fact, and somehow even with how many times you’ve heard it, it still brought a shiver up your spine.

Sweat began to drop from your brow now, and you only then became aware of how the blood on your face from recent cuts and assault had dried. At least there's that...

The observer lifted your head before smacking harshly across the face.

"Mmh!" You cried out, head jerking violently to the side. So much for the blood finally drying.

"You know I don’t like hurting you, pretty girl. Just focus real nice and hard for me, and the pain will stop."

Through the tears that threatened to fall and the blood rushing in your ears you were able to hear one of the scientists say something about getting a possible spike in the mutating cells, but not enough to substantiate their research.

"That a girl. You're finally working with me. Just a couple more hours of that and you might be ready to mutate." The scientist grinned and reared his hand back.

You braced for the pain and ground your teeth against the gag. One chance. You only needed one chance...

You were so focused on the pain that never came you almost didn't notice the blaring alarm, and flashes of red now saturating the examination room. The scientists around you scrambled, all panicked at what was happening. Apparently this wasn't a drill.

"What's going on?!" The observer barked, backing away from you.

Down the hall, you could hear gunshots. You flinched so violently the chair scooted forward a bit. Your heart skipped a beat; Could it be the police? The military coming to tear down this awful place?

Only a second later, a scientist came rushing through the lab door, almost tripping over his own feet when he turned to lock and barricade it shut with an iron bar. He was sweating profusely, and looked as if he had seen something unimaginable.

"What is it? What's happening out there?" The observer asked, going up to the scientist.

The other didn't answer, just stood there breathing heavily. He looked like he was going to retch. The observer's patience quickly wore thin, snatching the scientist up by the collar and delivering a harsh punch to the side of his face. Even you felt bad for him.

"Answer me, damn it!"

"I-it...it got in..." Came the scientist's shaky reply.

" _What_ got in?" The observer's eyes narrowed.

"Black...Pi-pitch black! Huge! It got in!!"

The scientist began to babble, but before he could be questioned any further, a bang was heard on the other side of the door. The scientist and observer backed up, with the other scientists huddling together on one side of the room, leaving you bound and helpless in the lab chair by the wall.

Another low bang bellowed through the lab, and a dent could now be seen in the heavy metal security door.

"Fuck this." The observer said, shoving the scientist aside and reaching into a locker lined up on the wall. He pulled out an automatic rifle, cocked it, and aimed at the door.

Seconds dragged on, and it almost seemed like whatever was outside the door had left.

Just as the observer lowered the gun, the metal door was ripped off of its hinges and tossed towards the scientists. They screamed, and most of them didn't move quickly enough, becoming crushed under the heavy door - blood splattering the floor and surrounding wall. The observer let out a roar and held down the trigger of the gun, only to be snatched up by what looked like a black snake, and pulled into the hallway. More gunshots could be heard, followed by a sickening squish, and then silence.

You felt like you were going to throw up. What the hell was happening? There was only one scientist left alive, the one the observer had punched. Tears were streaming down his face.

"Please...spare me... _please_..." he whispered.

You swallowed and had barely blinked when the black snake wrapped around his neck and squeezed. A loud crunch was heard as his bones snapped - it was so distinct that it tingled your teeth upon hearing it. His lifeless body was thrown to the other side of the room, colliding with the wall. At this, you couldn't help but let out a small muffled gasp.

Everything went silent, for a moment, but you could hear whatever just completely obliterated the scientists was now coming to enter the room. You wanted to struggle, to pull against your restraints, but were too scared to even lift a finger. In the stark lighting of the lab, a looming black figure entered through the doorway.

Its body was shimmering, completely black and almost appearing wet, slick with blood perhaps. A long, dripping tongue emerged from its mouth, which was lined with rows of sharp teeth. Its eyes were pure white and large, pupiless, and almost seemed to swirl up the side of the creature's face. You held your breath, but undoubtedly, the creature noticed you. It turned its head in your direction, observing you.

You were certain that if your arms and legs weren't fixed in place by belts, you would be shaking uncontrollably, but all you could do was watch, as the beast whose head almost brushed against the ceiling began to approach you.

With heavy steps it came closer and closer, and only once it was right in front of you did you realize that you were actually going to die - having struggled through months of experiments only to be killed by a monster instead of a man. Weren't you lucky?

Everything built up all in one instant, and you started sobbing, trembling, and trying to plead with the beast even through the cloth tied around your teeth. The creature reached a huge hand out, and when you noticed the claws on its hand, you shut your eyes tight and hoped death would come quickly. Instead, what came was a collection of sounds, deep, and raspy, as if spoken with water in the lungs, and it took you a moment to realize that those sounds came from the creature as it spoke to you.

**"Do not cry, little one. We will not harm you."**

They said. It took you several seconds to process what was said. You dared to open your eyes, barely able to see the beast through your tears. A claw came up to the gag and cut it away without harming your skin underneath. The sides of your mouth were bruised from it being tied so tightly, and your tongue felt heavy. Even though you could technically speak again, you weren't sure the words were even going to come out. And so you merely stared, as the beast looked around the room. It began talking again, but it didn't seem like it was speaking to you exactly.

 **"This is an observation lab. For studying the effects of various symbiotic abilities on the human body."** It said. A pause and then it spoke again. **"We know. They have been continuing the experiments."**

The creature looked back at you, and you swallowed again. It crouched a bit, and began to rip at the belts restraining your feet to the chair.

 **"We must leave. Now."** With a slight tug of their claws the sturdy belts were ripped apart, freeing your bruised legs. The reality of what was happening finally caught up to you, and you found your voice coming out, raspy and weak.

"You...you're not going to kill me?" You asked in a small voice, as if speaking too loudly would change the creature's mind.

It looked at you with what you could only describe as a kind of assurance.

 **"Eddie says we can only kill the bad guys".** It said, matter-of-factly.

 _Eddie?_ You only wondered who that was for a half second, before deciding it didn't really matter at the moment.

The creature went back to work on freeing you, focusing its attention on the belts holding your wrists to the arms of the chair.

**"You are not a bad guy. You have been captured by them, have you not?"**

Something about hearing it from another person, or rather, another being, made the emotions swell inside you once again.

"They…” You swallowed the bile in your throat that had come up from your fear. “They've been torturing me... beating me every day in the hopes that I'll mutate." Came your shaky response. A snarl came from the creature above you, and you'd almost thought you upset it.

**"Torture...unforgivable. we should eat all of their heads, Eddie."**

There was that name again, but it was only the two of you in the lab, who else could it be speaking to? Once your wrists were freed, the creature stood to full height.

 **"Hmm...you're right. Must leave for now."** It was if the creature was chiding itself at the thought of wasting any more time. It turned to you again. **"We can get you outside of this place, but we must leave right now."** It began to turn away from you, and you quickly made a move to follow.

Your body wasn't so keen on the quick motion - your legs had been weakened from being bound for so many hours, and you dropped to the floor with a thud. The creature turned to look back at you.

"My legs...I- I can't..."

Before you had time to finish your sentence the beast knelt down and lifted you into its arms with no effort at all. You let out a squeak, instinctively wrapping your arms around its massive neck.

Without another word, and with you now in tow, the creature began a quick stride down the halls. You gasped as you saw the brutality left in its wake - bodies of the scientists strewn throughout the floor. Blood and viscera splattered everywhere, some of the remains even dripping down on you from the ceiling. You had wanted them dead for months but this was in a manner you couldn’t even imagine. You swallowed and decided it best not to look anymore, turning your head towards the creature's massive chest.

You were almost out of the facility when the creature suddenly skidded to a stop. It let out a low growl that startled you from your place in its arms. You turned to look at what the problem was and felt your heart drop at the sight.

There was one researcher left standing amongst the carnage of bodies, holding a grenade in one hand, and a device of some kind in the other. He smiled wickedly, blood trickling down his face.

"You son of a bitch...you think I don't know your weakness?"

The creature growled again, taking a small shift backwards.

"If I'm going to die I'm going to take you with me. All of you. But first..." His smile widened, as he switched on the device.

A piercing sound reverberated off the walls. The creature above you screeched, dropping you to the floor and spasming in pain. You covered your ears and screamed - the sound felt like it was shredding your head apart.

The scientist stepped forward, and you peeked an eye open, seeing him pull the pick of the grenade with his mouth.

"No! Please, don't do this, just let us go!" You tried pleading over the noise - you got this far, and you weren't about to die here.

The scientist merely sneered and tossed the grenade in your direction. Your blood froze, and in desperation, you held your arms out.

 _"No!!"_ You screamed. The grenade bounced off the ground once, and something in you snapped. You gritted your teeth and screamed and in an instant something surrounded the grenade just as it exploded, keeping a majority of the blast contained and producing a much smaller explosion in the process.

The scientist had been knocked back over the other bodies, and was shocked to see you now standing, your hospital gown slightly shredded, but otherwise you were alive and well.

"Wh-what the fuck?" You saw him mouth. The noise was still going, and with a swing of your arm, you launched the device from the researcher's hand into the wall, shattering it in the process, leaving the shaky breaths of the scientist, the creature, and your own the only sound in the hallway. Your assailant's eyes widened as he realized your abilities had awakened.

"Wait...you don't wanna kill me. I helped make you into what you are...it's that thing you wanna kill, not me!"

Now it was the scientist's turn to plead, his turn to beg for mercy, but his words only made you more angry. You held your arm out at him - with a pained sound he began levitating off of the ground. Your breath came out in heavy pants as you brought up another arm; the scientist sounded like he was choking, though nothing visible was around his neck. He reached up and clawed at the air around his throat, only managing to dig into the skin there.

With a roar you didn't even recognize as your own voice, you violently snapped your arms down towards your sides. The scientist's head split open with the motion - splitting in two from the top of his skull right down the middle, exposing his brain inside with a wet squish.

He fell to the floor and bled out as you stood above him.

Your breath was now raspy and weak, and you were vaguely aware of your nose bleeding, though that could've been from your previous abuse - you weren't entirely sure. In fact, you weren't really sure if anything at the moment, as you felt the strength leave your legs and you fell to the ground.

Your world felt like it was spinning, and you thought for sure you were going to die. But at least you had died fighting, up until the very end. A smile crossed your lips at the thought. In the haze of your delusion, an unknown man came into view. It sounded like he was concerned, trying to keep you awake, urging again and again, ‘stay with me.’ But right now, staying awake was the last thing you wanted to do. And so you let your eyes slip shut as the darkness surrounded you.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You felt warm, like you were floating - that's the first thing you noticed upon opening your eyes. The second thing was that you were in a bed, and you weren't sure at first glance if the bed was yours or not. Movement caught your eye as you looked over to the side, briefly catching sight of an unknown woman walking out of the room. You groaned and moved to rub at your eyes, brushing one of the bruises on your face and hissing at the contact. It took several times of you blinking rapidly for your vision to focus - and when it did your confusion only got worse.

You felt warm, like you were floating - that's the first thing you noticed upon opening your eyes. The second thing was that you were in a bed, and you weren't sure at first glance if the bed was yours or not. Movement caught your eye as you looked over to the side, briefly catching sight of an unknown woman walking out of the room.

You groaned and moved to rub at your eyes, brushing one of the bruises on your face and hissing at the contact. It took several times of you blinking rapidly for your vision to focus - and when it did your confusion only got worse.

You were in a bedroom, tucked carefully under the sheets and a blanket. A soft yellow glow came from your left on the nightstand, doing well to light up most of the room from the thick darkness that you could see outside the window. Only when you moved gingerly to get off the bed did you notice you weren't in the hospital gown you were wearing before - you now had on a pair of sweatpants and a T shirt. Both of which were too big on you, but they were way more comfortable than the scratchy gown. 

The pants, luckily, were secured to your hips with the tightly tied drawstring so they wouldn't fall, and it took longer than you'd like to admit to realize you weren't wearing any underwear beneath the clothes. At first, you panicked at the thought of someone undressing you and possibly taking advantage of you, but there was no pain or discomfort between your legs, so the thought subsided quickly.

Slowly, you allowed your toes to brush the ground, and you stood up carefully, wincing at some of the soreness in your body. The room was a bit cold, and so you took the blanket from off the bed to wrap around yourself. The sound of indistinct voices caught your attention next, and you inched your way towards the bedroom door that was left cracked open, not knowing if you were in danger or not. You tightened the blanket around you, only briefly cursing yourself at the childish notion that the cloth would somehow bring you extra protection. While peeking out the door, you saw three figures standing by the front door, two of them looked like they were getting ready to leave.

"You call us as soon as she wakes up, yeah? The poor thing." One of the people, a woman, said. She appeared to be the same woman you caught leaving the room.

"How are her wounds healing?" One man asked.

"She'll be fine. Nothing's broken but she's got major bruising. And we still don't know how her body will react after being taken off of the substance given to her at the lab for such a long period of time." The third person, another man replied; he was standing next to the woman.

"What kind of monsters torture a girl like that?" The woman asked, concern furrowing her brow.

"The  _ Life Foundation _ , that's who." The first man responded, crossing his arms. "Thanks again for your help, guys. I'll let you know when she wakes up and how she's doing."

The couple nodded. The man went to shake the other's hand, while the woman hugged him.

"Be careful, Eddie." She said.

"I will." He replied, returning the embrace. The couple waved before leaving, and walking out of the apartment. The first man, who you now knew as Eddie, closed the door with a sigh. He ran a hand down his face.

"This is so messed up. I thought we dealt with all these guys last time." Eddie said, pacing around the room anxiously. 

You continued to watch him until he suddenly paused, and after a beat, looked at you peeking behind the door.

You gasped, and quickly spun away from the door's crack, pressing your body against it and locking it. You could hear footsteps begin to approach before they stopped.

"It's okay! I-I'm not gonna hurt you. Please, you don't have to hide. We just wanna make sure you're okay."

_ We _ ? Was there someone else in the apartment you didn't see? Your heart pounded, and you weren't sure why you felt the need to hide. But you had been in captivity for so long that you didn't know who to trust anymore, especially not any other humans.

"Where are we? Who are you?" You called out.

"I'm Eddie. Eddie Brock. We're in my apartment." He called back.

Why did the name Eddie sound so familiar? You thought back to the last thing you remember. You were in the lab, a creature came to save you, and then--!

"The lab! Oh god, what did I do?! How did we get out?!"

"You saved our lives in there. Without you we'd be  _ dead _ ."

You gripped your blanket tightly, struggling to catch your breath and process the information. "Were you there? I only remember the creature that saved me..."

Eddie scratched his head. "That's me - or, er,  _ us _ . It's kinda hard to explain, but... I can show you. Please, just come out. I'm not going to hurt you."

You took a moment to consider, and then decided if he wanted to hurt you, he would have already done so, while you were unconscious.

"Okay, just - just keep away from the door." You called out.

"Okay, yeah! Yeah, I'm over here." Came his reply. It did sound like he had backed up some. Just to be sure, you peeked under the door, seeing only his feet a considerable amount away from the door.

You swallowed, twisting the lock and doorknob and slowly pushing the door open. You were awaiting some kind of ambush, but none came. You were only greeted by Eddie's smile and his hands up in a surrender stance.

"Hey there." He said softly, his smile warm and comforting - almost enough to ease your guard down. He was handsome, and you thought you recognized him but couldn’t quite place it. Maybe he had been at the facility after all… "See, nothing to be afraid of."

You glanced around, seeing no one else."The creature from the lab. Do you know it?"

"Yeah. That's my symbiote." Eddie patted his chest lightly, above his heart. "He lives inside me."

That's the second time you heard that word, but you still weren't sure what it meant. "Symbiote? Inside?" The explanation only served to confuse you further. "So it's...he's here right now? With us?"

Eddie nodded. "Yeah. He is."

"Can...can he come out? Can I see him?"

"Yeah. Just...don't be afraid, okay?" He urged, and you nodded.

A second passed, then two, and you thought Eddie might be crazy when a deep black mass began spreading out from under Eddie's skin. By the time you blinked Eddie was completely gone, leaving only the giant creature in his place. The same white eyes and dripping maw came into vision. You started in awe.

"It’s you…” You breathed. “What... _ who _ are you?" 

The creature smiled - wide and toothy.  **_"We are Venom."_ ** Came its deep reply. You could practically feel its voice reverberate through your body, and you shuddered beside yourself, holding the blanket tighter to your frame in response.

"Venom..." you repeated. "You saved me...thank you."

**_"No, little one. You saved us. We are grateful."_ **

"What happened? I barely remember anything."

**_"Your mutation occurred under the threat of death. You neutralized the explosion and eliminated the one standing in our way. Then we brought you here. Safer than hospital. Eddie said no hospitals."_ ** Venom explained.

Your head felt like it was spinning again - it was almost too good to be true. Not only did your abilities awaken, but you  _ escaped  _ the place that had tormented you for so long.

"I...you...You freed me from that place. You could've just left me there to die...but you didn't... _ Why? _ " The thought was almost too much to handle. After months of pleading with your captors to let you go, a stranger - a non human one at that - frees you without a second thought.

The symbiote looked at you, seemingly confused by this question. With as soft an expression as the creature could manage, Venom reached out with a huge arm, taking a clawed finger and brushing it against one of the bruises on your face, with a gentleness you weren't expecting from such a giant.

**_"We were once like you. Trapped - A plaything for humans to study. You reminded us of ourselves."_ ** Venom's translucent eyes narrowed, leaving only slivers of white against the deep black. **_"We could not leave you in that place."_ ** Came his reply.

You merely stared for a minute, only blinking when Venom spoke again.

**_"Do not cry."_ **

You hadn't even noticed, but having Venom point it out caused a shaky sob to come past your lips. You tried to hold it back but it just kept coming, until you were crying heavily and your body was wracked with shudders. The tears kept you from noticing the different presence when a hand was placed gently on your shoulder.

"It's gonna be okay. You're safe." A more human voice ensured. Eddie was back in front of you, with Venom only seen as a small head floating beside him, connected by a few dark strands that sunk into the skin.

You hiccuped and wiped at your face, trying to stop yourself from appearing vulnerable in front of a stranger. Eddie didn't rush you - he just rubbed your shoulder soothingly and kept assuring your safety with hushed whispers of ‘You’re safe here.’ and ‘It’s okay, darlin’’. He wrapped the blanket around you, and simply sat with you. Your crying subsided soon enough thanks to that, earning a soft smile from Eddie.

"There we go. Hey, I bet you could use something to eat. My friends left some food for you. Eat as much as you want." Eddie left your side to walk to the kitchen, grabbing a plate from the fridge and popping it in the microwave. He returned to you with a glass of water.

You didn't even have to be told to drink - the crying mixed with all the sleep you'd gotten made your throat scratchy. You took the glass gratefully and gulped down the full cup, having some of it dribble down your chin in your haste. You only half thought about showing some sort of restraint and modesty, but Eddie didn't tease you, and so you didn't bother. You finished the glass with a gasp, thanking Eddie quietly. He nodded, wordlessly taking the glass and returning to the kitchen on time with the beep of the microwave.

He made the move to pass the plate to you before scratching at his neck nervously. "You don't have to eat on the floor. You're more than welcome to make yourself comfortable." He gestured to the table.

You chuckled softly. "Oh, right...yeah."

Standing on shaky legs, you made your way over to the table. Eddie sat opposite of you, and passed you the plate with utensils. You couldn't hide your excitement at having a warm meal and quickly dug into your food, only having to eat slowly because of how hot it was. Eddie was the first to break the silence.

"Your wounds...are you feeling better? Is it too cold in here? I can turn up the heat."

You shook your head, taking a moment to finish chewing before responding. "No, it's alright I'm warm now. Still sore, but better than I was yesterday."

Eddie blinked. "Oh, I didn't realize you woke up yesterday. I would've offered you some painkillers."

Confusion made itself apparent on your face. "What? I was awake. I mean,  _ of course _ . When we escaped the lab."

Eddie leaned forward a bit, elbows resting on the table. "Darlin' you've been unconscious for  _ three days _ ." His voice low and serious, concern lacing his tone.

You were grateful you weren't chewing anything at the moment because you would've surely choked. _ "What?" _

"We escaped three days ago. After your powers mutated and we escaped I brought you here. We treated your wounds, and for a while I was worried you weren't gonna wake up."

You looked down and picked at the sleeve of the t-shirt you were wearing, taking a moment to absorb the information. "Three days..." your eyes drifted over to your shirt and then the sweatpants that hung low on your hips. Your body heated up and you spoke daring a glance at Eddie.

"You didn't, um...you didn't...undress me, did you?" The last half of the question came out as more of a whisper, but based on the way Eddie coughed and looked away, he had heard it well enough.

"No, uh, no, I didn't. My er, friend...Anne did."

"The woman that was here?"

Eddie nodded.

"And my wounds? Did she treat them too?"

"No. Her...fiance, Dan did. He's a doctor. "

You noticed Eddie's voice got a bit rougher at that, but you didn't question it. You pushed a bit of food around on your plate.

"Thank you, for taking care of me...I have nothing to repay you with."

"Do you have anywhere to go?"

You shook your head. "No, I...when those freaks found me I was living alone. No real friends. My only family is an estranged aunt. I had just quit another job that was going nowhere. So I guess they knew nobody would miss me." You took a bite of food.

Eddie nodded in understanding. "They might have been watching you for a while. They know exactly who to target, and they seem to have eyes everywhere. That's why I didn't want to risk taking you to a hospital. Plus, they'd find out about me and Venom too."

"Right." You didn't think about that. Now you definitely weren't sure of who to trust. You were still working on trusting Eddie himself.

Eddie got up suddenly. "Well, you're more than welcome to stay here until we figure something out. We've gotta deal with these maniacs first. There's just a couple of questions I need to ask you." He walked behind you to a coffee table. You turned your neck to follow him.

"What is it?"

He returned with a laptop, a cup of lukewarm coffee, and a more serious look on his face. "I need you to tell me  _ everything _ you know about the Life Foundation. " 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Two! I'm having fun writing this story, and hope you guys are enjoying as well.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You sat, describing your captivity in the Life Foundation for the past six months for the better half of two hours with Eddie. He listened intently to every word, and didn't rush you - even when you had to stop because you had to swallow another lump in your throat to keep from crying again.
> 
> You also learned more about Eddie. He told you about how he met Venom, and about how they thought they defeated the Life Foundation the first time. All three of you were surprised it was still up and running without Carlton Drake in the picture.

You sat, describing your captivity in the Life Foundation for the past six months for the better half of two hours with Eddie. He listened intently to every word, and didn't dare rush you, even when you had to stop because you had to swallow another lump in your throat to keep from crying again.  
  
You also learned more about Eddie; He told you about how he met Venom, and about how they thought they defeated the Life Foundation the first time. All three of you were surprised it was still up and running without Carlton Drake in the picture.  
  
"It makes sense I guess. An organization that big is bound to have some second in commands." Eddie said, leaning back in his chair after he finished typing on his laptop.  
  
You sat opposite of him, your legs curled up underneath you. "What if they're still out there... what if they find us again?"  
  
Venom perked up from his spot beside Eddie. _**"We will not let them harm you, or Eddie."**_ He said suddenly, and firmly, with unshakable determination.

You were surprised at Venom's response - you had only just met and he was willing to protect you. "Thank you." You said softly, with a small smile.  
  
"He's right. If anyone comes close, Venom will let us know. But we should be safe for now. Like I said, it's probably best for you to stay here until things die down a bit."  
  
You nodded. It's not like you had any other choice anyways.

Eddie yawned and stretched, drawing you out of your thoughts.  
  
 ** _"Must rest, Eddie. Tired."_** Venom instructed.  
  
Glancing at the clock, you saw it was nearing 2 am. You couldn't even think of sleeping again after being unconscious for three days, and yet you yawned right after Eddie.  
  
"Yeah, okay buddy." Eddie responded, scratching the symbiote's chin, before turning to you. "You should get some rest too...er, I'm sorry. I don't think I ever caught your name."  
  
You quickly apologized, informing Eddie of your name. "My bad. You've offered your home to me and I didn't even introduce myself."  
  
"Don't worry about it. It's been a crazy day." Eddie closed his laptop and walked over to the couch. "You can take the bed."  
  
You were about to refuse, and had only opened your mouth. when Eddie held up a hand. "Trust me, it's fine. I've pulled plenty of all nighters out here to get used to sleeping on the couch. Just make yourself at home."  
  
"Thank you Eddie. For everything." You said genuinely.  
  
"Of course." Eddie smiled and made himself more comfortable, fluffing the pillows and tucking an arm behind his head.  
  
You took this as your cue to get some rest too. You walked back towards the bedroom, stopping in the doorway. "Good night Eddie. Good night Venom." You called back.  
  
"G'night."  
  
 ** _"Good night, little one."_**  
  
You smiled to yourself at Venom's pet name for you. It made you feel...nice. You weren't afraid to admit that.  
  
Walking back into the bedroom, you were about to shut the door fully, before deciding to leave it open a crack. You would feel safer if you could hear Eddie - or any potential danger - in the rest of the apartment.  
  
You curled up in bed, and couldn't help but be lost in thought. How long will it take until Eddie tracks down the rest of the Life Foundation facilities. Are they searching for you right now? What should you do after they're all caught and defeated by Venom? Go back to your old life? Was that even an option anymore?  
  
You groaned - the swirling thoughts only added to a dull soreness that was already running throughout your mind and body. It was best not to think about things too much, and to get your strength back for now. On the other side of the door you could hear Eddie snoring softly, and within moments you found yourself falling asleep, reassured by the sound of his breathing.  
  
‐-----------------  
  
You awoke to the sound of rain hitting lightly upon the window. Rubbing your eyes and yawning, you squinted at the bedside alarm clock. It read 9:17 am. You'd only been asleep for a few hours. You considered going back to sleep, but hunger, and the need to use the bathroom, won over any fatigue you were feeling. With a stretch, you got out of bed and made your way across the hall to Eddie's bathroom.  
  
You used the bathroom groggily, before flushing and going to wash your hands. Sleep was still heavy in your eyes - almost so much so that you had forgotten about your appearance. Your eyes widened upon taking in your state.  
  
Your hair was still buzzed short, of course, but you hadn't noticed how short. You had dark circles around your eyes and they were still puffy from crying. A few bruises and cuts littered you face too.  
  
You looked like a complete stranger compared to your past appearance... a sigh escaped your nose. There was no point on dwelling what was already done. Cupping your hands under the faucet, you ran some warm water and used it to rinse your face.  
  
After wiping the excess water with your sleeve, you took it upon yourself to borrow some of Eddie's mouthwash - your mouth tasted faintly of blood and general grossness, and you couldn't stand it anymore. Maybe Eddie had a spare toothbrush lying around. For now though, this was fine.  
  
Cleaning up was rather quick, so you made you way out into the living area. Eddie's sleeping form came into view. He was still snoring softly, and you smiled a bit. He looked peaceful, and you dare not awake your knight in t-shirt and jeans. Your stomach growled loudly and brought your attention back to the reason you awoke in the first place.  
  
Eddie's fridge didn't have too much to offer - just leftovers mostly, and a large bag of tater tots in the freezer. A grimace crossed your features. You felt like if you ate anything too heavy after just waking up, you'd get sick. On the counter though was a basket of fruits, that seemed to be left by Eddie's friend, Anne. You grabbed a pear, wiped it off on your shirt, and took a bite. You practically moaned at the sweet taste. It's the little things like this that you missed the most from being in captivity.  
  
 ** _"Good morning."_** a deep rumble said, causing you to jump slightly.  
  
You turned, to see Venom slithering out as nothing more than a floating head from Eddie's shoulder.  
  
"Oh." You swallowed a piece of fruit. "Good morning Venom."  
  
 ** _"How are your wounds?"_**  
  
You nodded with a small smile. "Better. A lot better actually. Thank you."  
  
Venom approached you, rubbing his head alongside your cheek. You were shocked at the gesture, but almost naturally found yourself caressing the side of Venom's face, leaning into him a bit more. Your nails brushed under his chin, and at first you thought you went too far because Venom paused. After a beat, he rubbed himself on your nails, and you took the cue to scratch lightly. Venom purred, much like a cat, making you giggle.  
  
 _ **"You smell good."**_ Venom commented.  
  
You scoffed. "Thanks, but I don't think so. I haven't showered in like, four days, after all."  
  
 ** _"Still smells good. Your natural scent is delicious."_**  
  
You took another bite of your pear, giggling lightly. "You're not saying that because you're gonna eat me or anything, right?" You joked, an amused look on your face.  
  
Venom's face split in a grin.  
  
 _ **"Not in anyway you would not like, little morsel."**_  
  
You choked on the piece of pear you were chewing, looking wide eyed at the symbiote in front of you. "Venom!" There was no way...did he just...?  
  
Eddie stirred from his place on the couch, and Venom returned to his side with a chuckle. "Wasso funny?" Eddie slurred.  
  
"Nothing! Nothing." You were quick to add, clearing your throat of the pear that threatened to take your life. "Um, how did you sleep?"  
  
Eddie yawned and stretched, groaning lightly as his back cracked from the movement. "Good. Real good, actually. You?"  
  
"Yeah. Me too." You nodded.  
  
Eddie stood off the couch, running a hand through his hair and downing a half finished glass of water that was abandoned on the table. He finished with a sigh. He glanced over to you, and you avoided eye contact, still feeling embarrassed from Venom's comment earlier.  
  
"Oh, there's leftovers in the fridge, if you want that for breakfast."  
  
You shook your head. "No, I'm okay. This is perfect, thanks. I've actually missed the taste of fruit." You murmured.  
  
Eddie lowered his head in understanding. "Right. Um, if there's anything you need, just let me know. Otherwise I can only say to make yourself as comfortable as possible. Being in hiding isn't the most fun thing in the world but, we'll get through this somehow."  
  
You shifted in your feet. "Actually, could I borrow your shower?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
Eddie rushed to the bedroom and grabbed a towel, and some spare clothes. He took a minute rummaging through his drawers trying to find something for you. "This should fit you."  
  
 ** _"Too big Eddie. Little morsel will be swimming in that."_**  
  
Eddie paused, confusion and mortification apparent on his brow. You felt your whole body heat up in embarrassment.  
  
"Little _what_?"  
  
You snatched the clothes and towel from Eddie. "Thanks Eddie! I'm -- gonna shower now! Been a few days. See you in a bit!"  
  
You quickly ran into the bathroom and shut and locked the door, sighing heavily on the other side. You could hear Eddie chastising Venom through the door.  
  
"Dude, what the fuck was that?! You can't say stuff like that with our guest!"  
  
Eddie's voice faded away as he walked out of the hallway back into the living room.  
  
You sighed heavily, a small smile coming to your face from Venom's teasing. You hadn't had anyone to talk to, let alone joke with, for the past couple of months, so you were willing to enjoy what you could get. Even if those jokes were coming from an alien symbiote.  
  
All of this still felt unreal - like you were going to wake up and still be locked in the facility. You turned the knobs to the shower and tested its warmth against your hand. As the soothing heat began to hit your palm you grinned in realization that this was reality. You were free, and able to move forward again.  
  
Stripping off your clothes, you stepped gingerly into the tub, groaning softly and feeling the warmth ease some of the soreness in your body. You simply stood there for several minutes, letting the water fall upon your skin and relax you into a state of calmness. Only after you started to get lethargic from how comfortable you were did you realize you were supposed to actually be cleaning yourself.  
  
Taking some of the body soap Eddie had, you lathered it up in your hands and scrubbed all over your body, desperate to get any remaining grime off of your skin. You took extra time washing your face properly and any areas that had cuts or bruises. You even took the liberty of using a bit of Eddie's shampoo to clean your hair, or whatever little of it was left. Still, the sensation felt nice, and you honestly could say you felt better than you had in months just from that simple shower.  
  
With reluctance, you twisted the knob to shut off the water and stepped out into the steamy bathroom. You wrapped a towel around your body and used your hand to wipe some of the condensation that was on the mirror. You were still taking some time getting used to your appearance after everything that happened. Only then did you remember that your powers had awakened.  
  
Glancing around the bathroom, you tried to find something that would be easy enough to test out on. You settled on Eddie's toothpaste that was sitting on the counter. With a deep breath, you slowly extended your arm and focused as hard as you could.  
  
The toothpaste twitched quickly, before slowly sliding over to you. With a breathless laugh you smiled, and tried lifting the toothpaste into the air. This took some more effort - a pulsating was felt in the back of your head, and made you groan in discomfort. With your breath now coming out in heaves rather than being normal, you grit your teeth and continued. The sensation of something dripping out of your nose almost distracted you, but you were determined to push yourself.  
  
The toothpaste levitated further into the air, almost reaching your palm when a sudden knock at the front door startled you, causing you to loose focus and drop the bottle. You whipped around to the bathroom door, inching closer and listening. You could hear indistinct voices, but couldn't make it out.  
  
Quickly, you rushed to put on the clothes Eddie gave you. You had to tighten the waistband of the pants to get them to fit properly. With hesitation, you opened the bathroom door and peeked your head out, craning your ears to listen.  
  
"Hey guys. Thanks for coming." Eddie's voice came within earshot.  
  
"Absolutely. I told you we'd come by as soon as she woke up." A familiar voice said. It sounded like the woman, Anne, from the other day.  
  
"She looks like she's healing fine but could you double check, Dan?"  
  
"Yeah. Of course. Where is she now?"  
  
You took the moment to step out from the bathroom and round the corner. Anne and Dan looked at your first, causing Eddie to turn in your direction. You were about to speak when Eddie came quickly over to you.  
  
"Oh God, are you okay?" He asked, reaching and putting a hand on your shoulder.  
  
You looked at him in confusion. "Yeah, of course, why?"  
  
Venom appeared from out of Eddie's shoulder. **_"Bleeding. Are you hurt?"_**  
  
You blinked and remembered you just practiced your abilities in the bathroom. You held a hand to your nose, covering the nosebleed.  
  
"Oh! I- I'm fine. This is just from... uh..."  
  
"Is it your ability?" Anne interrupted softly, her voice just above a whisper.  
  
You looked at her first, then Eddie, for reassurance. He seemed to pick up on your concern.  
  
"It's okay. They're friends. You can tell them. They helped out me and Venom a lot when we were first bonded."  
  
You swallowed, before continuing. "Yeah, I was practicing my abilities. I guess my nose was bleeding from the strain of it." You took the moment to reach for a nearby napkin, using it to wipe your nose clean.  
  
"Were you pushing yourself too hard?" Dan spoke up.  
  
You let out a dry laugh. "No, I could barely lift the bottle of toothpaste."  
  
At this, Venom let out a laugh of his own. **_"Do not be so modest. We saw her abilities first-hand. It was outstanding! A wonderful display of power and destruction!"_**  
  
You shrugged. "I certainly don't feel outstanding."  
  
"Well, from what we heard from Venom and Eddie, the stress and danger of escaping the Life Foundation is what triggered your powers in the first place. So its understandable that they would be stronger when you're trying to protect yourself." Anne supplied.  
  
"So I have to be in mortal danger to be that strong again?"  
  
Eddie crossed his arms. "I'm no expert, but I think as long as you keep practicing you should get to a point where you don't feel as strained."  
  
You nodded. That did sound logical.  
  
"Anyways, we came to check how you. Eddie asked me to take a look at your wounds, if you'd let me."  
  
You felt your blood run a bit cold. You knew Dan was a good friend of Eddie's, but doctors still made you uneasy. All the poking and prodding of your captivity made sure that a doctor's visit would never be easy going again. Eddie seemed to understand before you even got to speak.  
  
"You can check her wounds out here, right? Like, it doesn't have to be private."  
  
Dan put his hands up to ease you. "Of course! I just want to see how things are healing. You don't have to remove any garments or anything like that."  
  
With this, you nodded. "Yeah. That's fine."  
  
Dan ushered you to sit in one of the kitchen chairs. Anne and Eddie stood by as Dan began pulling a few instruments out of a small satchel on his hip. He put on some rubber gloves before grabbing a small flashlight.  
  
"First, I want to check your eyes. Look right at me please. Try not to blink."  
  
You followed his directions, automatically tensing up at his tone. A soft hand was placed on top of yours that held a tight grip on your pants.  
  
"Breathe, hun. It's alright." Anne cooed.  
  
You nodded softly, before doing as she said and letting out the breath you didn't realize you were holding.  
  
"Very good." Dan murmured, moving on to checking your ears, throat, and heart rate.  
  
Once all of that was done, he checked how your body was healing. He prodded gently at a bruise on your arm.  
  
"Anything you're concerned with? Does it hurt when I do this?" Dan pushed a bit harder and you winced.  
  
"Yeah...I'm just sore all over. And I feel like I'm always tired."  
  
"That's normal. You've gone through something extremely traumatic. It will take a while before you feel one hundred percent."  
  
Dan's medical opinion made you feel a bit more at ease. A few more minutes of checking your wounds, the doctor confirmed you looked in good shape - or as good as you could be. He reached into his bag again, but didn't pull his hand out.  
  
"Now, I'm going to ask your permission for this. We all want to make sure that whatever serum the Life Foundation put into you, won't cause any long term damage. To analyze it, I'm going to have to take a blood sample."  
  
You twitched, and felt your whole body flush with heat and then turn ice cold.  
  
"I-I dunno, Dan... That's..."  
  
Eddie put a hand on your shoulder.  
  
"It'll be quick. Promise."  
  
"I know, I just...don't know if I can..." you felt a lump forming in your throat, and it was getting harder to stay composed.  
  
Venom floated closer to you. **_"You can. You have been strong, little morsel. You can be strong again."_**  
  
You gulped, considering Venom's words, before responding with a shaky breath.  
  
"Make it quick, _please?_ " Your voice was small.  
  
Dan nodded and looked at you with sincerity. "Of course." He pulled out the syringe from the bag, causing you to immediately feel sick and closed your eyes.  
  
Dan told you everything he was about to do. From wrapping the band around your arm to wiping off the spot of injection. He lightly plucked the spot on your arm where the veins lie under, and you gasped without meaning to.  
  
Your eyes were screwed shut, and you were trying to keep yourself from having a panic attack, when you felt something smooth and strong grab onto your hand and slip into your palm.  
  
You peeked your eyes open to see one of Venom's tendrils holding your hand.  
  
 ** _"Squeeze. As hard as you need to. You will not hurt us."_**  
  
You nodded and did just that, closing your eyes again and holding Venom for dear life. Dan announced he was about to draw your blood, and at the sensation of the needle piercing your skin, you whimpered and squeezed Venom harder. The symbiote returned the pressure, holding you tight. It felt like it had lasted minutes, but in reality, it only took a few seconds for Dan to draw your blood, and stop the bleeding.  
  
"Done." He confirmed, closing the injection point with medical tape and gauze.  
  
"You did great, darlin'." Eddie said, rubbing your shoulder.  
  
You still felt sick, like maybe you were going to throw up, or pass out, or both.  
Humiliation burned your cheeks, feeling childish and pathetic from your display in front of everyone. You could feel the tears pricking at your eyes, and everyone's gaze only made you more embarrassed.  
  
"Can...can I go lay down, now?" You rasped. It took every ounce of willpower not to vomit right then and there.  
  
"Of course." Eddie responded softly.  
  
You released Venom's tendril and stood on quaking legs. Anne held you upright.  
  
"I'll take her to bed." She put her arm around you. and you graciously leaned into her. You weren't too proud to turn down the help.  
  
"I'm sorry, th-thank you, everyone, Dan..." you managed to get out as Anne helped you shuffle to the bedroom.  
  
"You're welcome. It's no problem."  
  
Once in the bedroom, Anne helped you climb into bed and put the blankets on you. You hadn't even noticed you were shivering with a cold sweat.  
  
"It's alright. Just rest." Anne whispered, rubbing soothing circles on your shoulder as you crumpled into a fetal position.  
  
"I'm sorry...s-sorry...'m so w-weak...pathetic..." you rambled.  
  
"Shhh." Anne shushed. "You're fine, hun. You're not weak, or pathetic. Don't ever say that. You've been through so much, and you're so strong for making it this far. Close your eyes. I'll stay until you fall asleep."  
  
"Thank you, Anne...Th- Thank you..." You mumbled, a few tears falling from your eyes. Anne hushed you again and continue to rub your shoulder and back and whisper kind words into your ear. Shutting your eyes, it was mere moments before your body calmed its shivering and you drifted off to sleep, soothed by Anne's touch on your shoulder, and the smell of Eddie on the sheets. 


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You awoke a few hours later, feeling a bit lost upon first opening your eyes. You sat up slowly, rubbing at your face, and trying to recall when you had gotten back in bed. Dragging your hand down your face, your eyes drifted to your arm, which still had gauze neatly wrapped around it. The sight made your stomach lurch as the memories from earlier in the day came back to you. You wanted to curse yourself for being such a baby, especially when Dan just wanted to help...

You awoke a few hours later, feeling a bit lost upon first opening your eyes. You sat up slowly, rubbing at your face, and trying to recall when you had gotten back in bed. Dragging your hand down your face, your eyes drifted to your arm, which still had gauze neatly wrapped around it. The sight made your stomach lurch as the memories from earlier in the day came back to you. You wanted to curse yourself for being such a baby, especially when Dan just wanted to help...

Getting out of bed, you made your way out of the bedroom to the living room, surprised Eddie was nowhere to be seen.

"Eddie?" You called out, voice uneasy. A note on the coffee table caught your attention. Upon closer inspection, you saw that it was from Eddie.

_"Hey! If I'm not back by the time you wake up, I ran out to get us some lunch. Be back soon!"_

You smiled, relief washing over you. For a second, you were apprehensive about being alone - what if the Life Foundation found you? Anxiety was starting to make its way back into your veins when you remembered, at least you could defend yourself, if need be.

Dan's hypothesis of you having to be in mortal danger to trigger the peak of your power rang in the back of your mind, and you thought now was as good a time as any to practice.

Walking over to the coffee table, you tried to find something heavy enough, but not fragile, to test your abilities on. You'd finally settled on a large book - giving tips and insight onto the field of journalism - that was left open. Taking a deep breath, you focused yourself and extended your arm. The low humming was present in the back of your consciousness and you held your breath as the book gave a twitch before rising, slowly, into the air.

You exhaled slowly, keeping your concentration and furrowed your brows a bit more, with the intention of bringing the book over to where you were standing and into your outstretched palm. The book crawled and inched its way to you, your breath coming out in little puffs all the while. With a final gasp and a flick of your fingers, the book shot into your hand, and your stance relaxed. You followed the weight of it downwards, and crumpled slightly on yourself from the strain.

A breathless laugh left your lips at your success, followed by a sniffle, as you realized your nose was bleeding. You cursed, quickly putting the book down and going for some tissues sat upon the coffee table. A brief thought that you could’ve simply used your powers to bring the tissues crossed your mind, but you didn't want to use your ability for such lazy purposes. A few swipes at your nose later, you tried to find something else to occupy your time with while waiting for Eddie.

Your eyes eventually rested on the television, and the realization gave you pause. You hadn't watched TV in months...not even so much as the weather channel was granted to you in your time of captivity. It's not like you were an avid TV watcher before the incident, but you had certainly missed flipping through channels before finding a movie or show that managed to catch your interest. You sat on the couch, grabbed the remote, and flipped it on. Eddie had left it on some movie channel, playing a movie you weren't familiar with - some sort of action flick. It seemed interesting enough but you decided to flip through some channels anyways.

Television had not miraculously gotten better since you had last watched. There were still stupid reality shows where everyone seemed fake, and nature documentaries where the narrator's voice soon became nothing but a soft drawl. Finding nothing better, you settled on finding the action movie again and watching that. You were only able to catch a few minutes of a scene before it cut to commercial. The commercial that came on advertised shampoo - one that you had used a lot before, you know, your head was involuntarily shaved.

You couldn't help but stare at the women in the commercials; Long, silky hair resting gently on their shoulders, and perfect white teeth on display on their faces. They were beautiful, and you reached a hand up to rub at your buzzed head in grief. It would probably take at least a few months for your hair to be long enough to put in a small ponytail... your mind even flashed back to Anne, with her beautiful shoulder length hair. The kind of hair someone could run their fingers through lovingly, _the kind of hair Eddie would like._

You blushed at the intrusive thought, and shook your head softly. Eddie was only nice to you to be polite, offering you shelter and safety while he and Venom track down the remaining Life Foundation members. You were nothing more than a damsel in distress, a woman with nowhere to go and nothing to offer, of course he would be kind. Sadness filled your chest, before the sound of keys jingling in the lock caught your attention.

Turning your head, you found it easier to force a smile upon seeing Eddie's own.

"Hey! You're up!" Eddie called out, holding a bag of takeout. He kicked the door closed with his foot. In an instant, Venom poured from under Eddie's jacket and floated towards you. Once he was close, he rubbed himself on your cheek, mimicking his earlier behavior. You smiled, and again, scratched under his chin, feeling comforted with the soft purr that the symbiote released.

"Come on, V. Give the lady some space." Eddie scolded, a look crossing his face that you couldn't quite distinguish. Maybe embarrassment? Venom didn't even turn to look at him, ignoring the comment entirely.

**_"Was worried. Feeling better?"_ **

Warmth spread through your body at his concern, and you found yourself unable to resist the urge to caress Venom once more. "Much better. Thank you, Venom."

Eddie rustled the bag of food in an attempt to pull your attention - or maybe Venom's attention - away from the other. "I got Chinese. I hope that's alright."

Your jaw almost dropped to the floor, and your stomach growled at the mere mention. "Holy shit, I haven’t had Chinese in so long!" You quickly hopped off the couch, practically skipping over to Eddie, who chuckled and passed you a plate.

"Eat up then, darlin'! Have as much as you want."

You smiled as Eddie passed you some chopsticks. You took them and gathered your plate together before following Eddie to sit back on the couch.

"Eddie, I...I'm really sorry, about how I acted earlier..."

Eddie slurped some noodles before frowning. "You don't have to apologize. I'm sure that was very hard for you."

You let out a breathless laugh. "I feel like such a baby."

 **_"Not baby. No baby is as powerful as you. Strong and beautiful."_ ** Venom interjected, and you couldn't help but look down at your plate.

"I'm...neither of those things..."

You could practically feel Eddie's disagreement. "Don't say that. You are strong and you are beautiful. You're incredible."

Trying not to cry again, you shook your head. "I appreciate your kindness, Eddie, but...I'm so...different now. All beat up and boyish...not beautiful at all."

Eddie put down his plate on the coffee table and turned to face you fully. "I'm not saying you're beautiful to be kind. I'm saying it because you _are_."

You avoided his gaze, fiddling with your chopsticks, before Eddie's hand rested overtop of yours. You gasped, looking up at him quickly.

"Please, believe me when I say, _you are beautifu_ l. And truly the strongest person I've ever met."

Tears started to fill your eyes, and you could only nod, but Eddie shook his head.

"Now you say it."

"E-Eddie..."

"Come on, darlin'. Say it. Mean it."

The pet name made your body flush with heat, especially with Eddie speaking so low and serious. You fumbled over your words in an attempt to obey his request, his tone held no room for disagreement.

"I...I'm b-beautiful...and strong..."

Eddie smiled softly and squeezed your hand. "Good. That’s my girl." He whispered. You could’ve passed out right then and there from the praise, and hoped Eddie didn’t notice the way your breath caught in your throat.

He finally leaned back. "We'll work through this, together. Get your confidence back up. Don't worry."

You nodded and smiled, wiping your cheeks. "Thanks, Eddie."

He returned the smile and picked his plate back up. The two of you continued to enjoy each other's company into the early morning, where you went to your separate corners to fall asleep.

The next few days went by in a blur, all seemingly melting together. Dan came to check on you a few days ago, and Anne brought you some extra clothes she didn't wear any longer, as well as some simple bras and panties from the store. You and Eddie had both gotten comfortable around each other, and the routine; Wake up, talk about the Life Foundation, eat breakfast, discuss your next move, ask how your wounds are - it started to become what you expected of the day. And honestly, you were comfortable with it. Or so you thought.

One particular evening you were sitting by the window, watching cars and traffic go by. Eddie was typing away as usual. You were lost in thought when something out by the horizon caught your eye - a Ferris wheel. You gasped, and Eddie immediately tensed, with Venom wasting no time making an appearance.

"Wh ** _at?_ **" They asked in unison, and you quickly turned to settle the situation.

"Oh! No-no it's nothing, no danger, just...it looks like... a carnival."

Eddie let go of a breath he was holding and walked over to you. He leaned over next to you to peer out the window as well.

"Oh, yeah! Would you look at that? I saw them setting up a while ago. It got put up fast."

"Wow." You breathed. It wasn't as if you've never been to a carnival, but it had been many years - not since your mother had passed away. And the thought filled you with a childish glee. Eddie noticed the brightness in your eyes, something he hadn't seen until then.

"You wanna go?"

Your heart skipped a beat. "What?"

Eddie jerked his head in the direction of the window. "You wanna go? To the carnival?"

You looked at Eddie, back out the window, and back again. "I...It's not safe..."

"We'll be together the whole time and go at night. And we'll make sure you can't be recognized. Annie gave you some of those fake glasses, right? Just throw on a hat and no one will look twice."

"I dunno Eddie, I...I'm scared." Your voice softened to a whisper, looking down and squeezing your hands - so hard your knuckles could turn white with any more pressure.

Eddie took your chin in hand and tilted your face up to look at him, and you're sure you were blushing from the gesture. "Hey, we don't have to go if you really don't want to. But I think you deserve a bit of fun and freedom. You can't stay cooped up forever, darlin. So whaddya say?" He flashed you a smile that could melt the coldest of hearts and you dumbly found yourself nodding before you thought about it. Eddie's smile widened and he let go of your chin to give you a hug.

"It'll be great! I promise!" He exclaimed, and you hugged him back, desperately trying to calm any anxieties making its way into your heart.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You had decided to go two nights later to give you time to mentally prepare. While Eddie typed away on his laptop, you practiced your powers in secret - lifting heavier things like mugs off the top shelf or even the kitchen table when Eddie went to the bathroom. The latter made too much noise when you couldn't put it down gently, causing you to quickly lie and say you bumped into it.

You occupied the rest of your time preparing for what you would wear to the carnival - half of you wanted to look nice for Eddie, and the other half cursed you for even thinking this was a date... Eddie just wanted you to get used to being outside again. He was being a good friend. When the day arrived, you settled on a simple yellow striped shirt, some jeans, and a jean jacket with a gray hoodie underneath to keep you warm. Completing the look with the fake glasses and a beanie that Anne had given you, you gave yourself a once over in the mirror.

You looked...cute...kinda boyish, but still cute. _Maybe Eddie would like the boyish look…_

You frowned, again cursing those thoughts. "He's just your friend, stupid." You muttered, before turning to leave the bedroom.

Eddie caught wind of your presence and turned to face you with a smile.

"Ready to go-" he paused, and you felt yourself flush with heat. You looked down, picking at your shirt.

"It looks dumb, right? I- I knew it. I'm-"

"-the prettiest thing I've ever seen." Eddie murmured, breathless. Your eyes widened, and you looked back up.

"What?"

Eddie stared you up and down, obviously, and you couldn't meet his gaze when he was looking at you like that. He finally let out a breathless laugh. "You look great. Really. You're-."

 **_"Adorable, morsel."_ ** Venom finished. The symbiote’s tone also held an adoration you had never heard from...well, anybody before.

You knew you were probably blushing, but smiled softly and managed to squeak out "Th-thank you." You took the moment to check out Eddie a bit.

He was wearing his leather jacket - the one he always wore when he took his bike on investigations, a nice Henley t-shirt, and jeans that hugged him in all the right places. "You look nice too, Eddie." You said sincerely, and Eddie chuckled.

"Just nice?" He teased, doing a spin, flashing you finger guns and winking. You burst out into a nervous laughter, smacking his hand playfully.

"No, I take it back. You don't look nice at all."

Eddie laughed with you and turned to grab his keys. He held out his arm for you to take. "Well, shall we go, doll?"

You smiled, taking his arm. "We shall." You went along with his persona. Venom sunk back into Eddie's skin as you left the apartment. You made it to Eddie's bike where he gave you a spare helmet to wear.

Eddie put his own on and got onto the bike, waiting for you to do the same. You fiddled with the helmet.

"Sorry, I'm a bit nervous, I've never ridden a bike before."

 **_"We will make sure you do not fall."_ ** Venom assured. **_"Would never let you get hurt."_ **

You nodded, pushing down any other anxiety. You put on your helmet and got behind Eddie, wrapping your arms around his middle. A pressure secured your front to Eddie's back, and you realized Venom had made a seat belt of sorts to keep you close. The pressure was nice, and helped you feel secure.You snuggled into Eddie’s back as he revved up the bike; From this close you could smell his cologne, and mixed with the scent of his jacket it made you feel an ease and comfort you hadn’t experienced in months.

“Here we go!” He called out to you, before starting out of the parking garage and into the city streets. 

It was late evening, and you couldn’t help but awe at the sights around you. Sure, you’d lived in San Francisco for almost two years now, but not seeing the outside world had made you miss the simple things. A smile came to your face as Eddie sped up a bit, telling you to hold on tight as he did. You thought he was surely going to try and show off with you on the bike, but he heeded your nervousness, and drove smoothly and carefully. The two of you sped down the street to the carnival, when the last rays of the sun were starting to fade away. 

Music and the smell of food hit you as you pulled into the dirt road parking lot of the small amusement park. Only when Eddie stopped the bike completely did Venom release his grip from around you. You got off the bike and stared like a child at the bright flashing lights, booths with snacks and prizes, and rides. Excitement thrummed in your heart and you turned to face Eddie with glee. You caught him staring at you, smiling, as if lost in thought. You rubbed your neck and laughed a bit.

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be childish, I just...I’m so excited!” You finished, looking back up at Eddie, whose eyes didn’t leave your face.

“Don’t apologize, sweetheart. I want you to have a great time.” Eddie said softly. _Sweetheart._ That was new, and brought heat to your body with the simple utterance of the word. Eddie held out his hand for you to take. “So, what should we do first?” 

You took Eddie’s hand - it was warm, and a bit rough, but a comforting and solid presence. You just hoped your own hand wasn’t sweaty from the closeness. With childlike determination, your bright eyes looked into Eddie’s adoring ones.

“Prizes!” You exclaimed, and started towards the entrance. Eddie simply laughed and followed after your insistent pulling. Now that you were facing away from him, you could only hope Eddie couldn’t tell how nervous you actually were... _Were you falling for him?_ No, that couldn’t be, because as Eddie paid for your entry and didn’t release your hand, you realized you had already fallen for him long before today.


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The carnival was as bright and wonderful as you were expecting it to be - there were stands of popcorn and lemonade, cotton candy, try your luck games, and tons of rides. The screams of adults and children alike brought a huge smile to your face as you looked around in awe. A soft squeeze on your hand pulled you out of your reverie, and made you remember who that hand was attached to (and that he refused to let you go, even for a moment.)
> 
> “You said you wanted to win some prizes, right? Which one’s caught your eye?” Eddie asked, smiling reverently at you.

The carnival was as bright and wonderful as you were expecting it to be - there were stands of popcorn and lemonade, cotton candy, try your luck games, and tons of rides. The screams of adults and children alike brought a huge smile to your face as you looked around in awe. A soft squeeze on your hand pulled you out of your reverie, and made you remember who that hand was attached to ( _ and that he refused to let you go, even for a moment.) _

“You said you wanted to win some prizes, right? Which one’s caught your eye?” Eddie asked, smiling reverently at you.

The smile never left your face as you looked around. There were stuffed characters from cartoons you’d never heard of, some that you recognized, silly emojis, and a booth with a huge teddy bear as the grand prize. Eddie must’ve noticed the way your jaw dropped at it. 

“You want that one?” He laughed.

“Eddie, I  _ need _ him!” You screeched, bouncing a bit. 

Eddie’s smile widened, as he laughed a bit harder. “Well then, guess me and V will have to win him for you.”

You grabbed onto Eddie’s arm. “Would you, really?” Your eyes were practically twinkling.

Eddie held his other hand to his heart, feigning being hurt. “Ouch, don’t you trust me darlin’?”

You smiled softly, and responded with more honesty than Eddie could ever know. “Of course I do.”

“Then, watch us win him for ya.” Eddie returned your smile and pulled you in the direction of the booth, weaving through the crowd of people. He held onto you tightly, as if losing you was the last thing in the world he wanted. Once you got to the front of the booth, the man behind it shone brightly, and gave you his whole rehearsed intro to the game and how to play. It was a simple game of knocking down three stacked pins on top of one another. You had known those games to be rigged, but Eddie’s confident smile never wavered. 

The man handed Eddie three balls to knock the pins down with. “Good luck, sir! Win your lady something nice.” He said, gesturing to the prizes above.

You were about to say something about the ‘your lady’ comment, when Eddie turned to you and winked. “Oh, I will.” 

You blushed and smiled softly, as Eddie got into position to throw the first ball. You and the man behind the booth watched as he threw the ball as hard as he could. It looked like it was going to hit too high, but suddenly dropped and hit the top pin, somehow knocking over the bottom ones as well. You jumped up and down in glee. 

“You got it Eddie!” You shrieked. 

The man behind the booth clapped his hands. “That’s a good arm you got there, son! If you can knock down two more sets of pins you get one of the giant prizes.” He motioned to the large teddy bear you so desperately wanted. 

Eddie pretended to kiss the next ball he was about to throw. “Let’s see if I can get it then.” He shifted his hips a bit, before raising his arm and throwing the second ball. This one fell a bit soft, hitting the bottom pins. They shifted backwards, before coming back to position. You were about to frown when a split second later, they tipped over (it looked like they were pushed over) the front and fell, taking the top most pin with them of course. You gasped in delight, turning to Eddie with a huge smile.

“Did you see that?” You asked. 

Eddie merely winked again, and the carnie crossed his arms.

“Nice shot. You’re not cheating, are you son?” He asked. He was teasing, but you could tell he had his suspicions. Eddie held up his hand in defense. 

“No, sir. Just luck, I guess.” He smiled. That’s when you noticed a slim black ring around Eddie’s middle finger. It was completely dark, with little light reflecting off of it. You hadn’t noticed it before, and it reminded you of Venom...Wait, it couldn’t be…

Eddie moved to throw the final ball at the last set of pins. This one fell a bit too short, hitting and bouncing off the counter on which the pins stood. You smiled, even though Eddie lost, he did well. You were surprised, though, when these pins began to wobble before toppling over. Their motion seemed unnatural - Eddie certainly didn’t throw hard enough for the impact to make them fall, but you were overjoyed nonetheless. You jumped up and cheered.

“You did it!” You cried, throwing yourself into Eddie’s open arms. He laughed with you before the carnie interrupted. 

“Hold on there, son. The ball has to  _ hit _ the pins in order for it to count. So you only got two out of three. 

Eddie released you, but held an arm around your shoulder. “Come on, man. I played by the rules. They still fell over right? You said I just had to knock down the three sets of pins, you didn’t say how.” 

The carnie shrugged. “Those are the rules.”

Eddie got in close to the man. “My girl has been through a lot, man. Just let us have this, this once, please? I’ll even pay you.”

The carnie looked at Eddie, then you. You lowered your head just a bit to look at him through your lashes, and the man sighed.

“I never could refuse a pretty face. Keep your money, son. You give this young lady a nice night, understand?” He turned and took a hook from behind him to snag the large bear from the top shelf. You were bouncing up and down like a child by the time the man passed it to Eddie, and Eddie passed it to you.

“Thank you! Thank you!” You cried, hugging the bear.

“You’re welcome, darlin’.” Eddie took your hand in his once more and turned to leave, waving his thanks at the carnie.

“Thank you!” You called out to the man, and he smiled and waved back at you.

“What are you gonna name him?” Eddie asked.

You hugged the bear close to you. “I dunno yet. It has to be a good name.”

“How about my name?” Eddie chuckled and cleared his throat. It seemed to be something he just blurted out. “Just kidding.”

You squeezed Eddie’s hand. “I think Eddie is a perfect name for him.” Smiling, you brought the bear up to your face. “Isn’t that right, Eddie?” You asked in a sing-song voice, as if talking to a baby.

Eddie laughed again, and rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks tinged a bit pink. That’s when you remembered -

“Oh yeah! How did you win? That ring around your finger, is it -”

Eddie held up his hand, and the tiny face of Venom appeared, as no more than two white slits of eyes. “Yup. I used V to help knock over the pins. I mean, that guy was definitely cheating anyways - everyone knows those games are rigged. So who cares if we cheat back?”

“Cheating or not, thank you Eddie. I mean it.” You looked up at Eddie, and he took a moment to study you. 

The bright lights of the carnival were dancing across your face. You were practically glowing, filled with a happiness Eddie had never seen on you before, even in the days living with him. Your eyes shone bright, and your lips looked even more enticing in the cascading lights of the booths and rides around. Eddie felt like the wind was just knocked out of his lungs.

“This way. I wanna show you something.” He said softly, pulling you along by the hand.

You were a little confused, but didn’t object. “Okay.” 

Your heart pounded as Eddie took you away from the crowds over to the pier, where there were much fewer people. It was a beautiful sight, really. The way the lights bounced off of the water. He brought you over to an empty bench to sit. “What’s wrong, Eddie?” You asked, feeling nervous and hot.

Eddie rubbed his neck again. “I just...I wanted to tell you something.”   


“Okay…” You repeated

Eddie inhaled before blowing out a breath. “I just - I wanted to - You’re so -” Eddie cursed under his breath before trying again, and turning to face you. Still holding your hand, he brought it up to his heart. “Can you feel that?”

Your fingertips rubbed against Eddie’s chest, feeling the hard, strong thump of his heart. “Yes.” You whispered. 

“I’m like this around you all the time.” Eddie admitted. “And tonight, seeing you laugh, and seeing you so happy - I feel like I’m the luckiest man alive to give you that happiness.”

You gulped. You didn’t know Eddie had feelings for you too...It all felt like a dream. “W-What are you saying, Eddie?” Your voice was soft, as if speaking too loud would break the reverie.

“I want you to be mine. If you let me love you, I promise I will do everything in my power to keep you happy.”

You  _ were _ happy. So happy in fact that you couldn’t speak. You felt like you could cry. You couldn’t find the words to speak, and began to tremble slightly. Eddie frowned a bit and took your chin in his hand. “What’s wrong, darlin’?” He asked, rubbing a thumb along your jaw. “You’re shaking. You’re not... scared of me, are you?”

You shook your head quickly, your eyes snapping shut, unable to look at Eddie anymore. “No, never, Eddie. I…”

“You?” Eddie asked, rubbing his thumb along your lower lip. 

You swallowed hard. “I...I want you, Eddie. So bad-” You admitted in a whisper. The rest of your voice was caught by Eddie’s lips against yours, surprising you. You let out a small moan, which Eddie greedily swallowed into his own mouth, groaning low in the back of his throat. The kiss was hungry and desperate, something you had both wanted for a while. Eddie brought his other hand - the one that you weren’t holding on for dear life - up to hold behind your neck and keep you in place. You gasped from the sensation of Eddie’s fingertips brushing your nape, and the man took the opportunity to slip his tongue into your mouth. 

You felt like you were gonna pass out. This was all you had wanted for days, and it was finally happening. You pulled away first, gasping for air. Eddie looked at you with reverence, like a man who had finally found water in the middle of a scorching desert. He rasped out your name, circling his thumb on the back of your neck.

“Eddie, we...should stop.” You swallowed and let out a breathless laugh. “We’re still in public, and I’m a few seconds away from climbing into your lap.”

Eddie laughed himself. “Yeah…Yeah. Okay. Um, what do you say we keep looking around? Enjoy the rest of the night?” He smiled, taking the hand still holding yours, and kissing your knuckles.

“I’d like that.” You smiled, leaning in to kiss Eddie one more time, before you both stood up to walk back to the carnival (Eddie smiling all the while). 

You spent another hour enjoying the carnival. Eating food (sneaking snacks to Venom), playing more games, and riding a few rides, save for the Ferris Wheel, where Eddie admitted his fear of heights. The night was going perfect. You hadn’t felt this happy in months, and you let Eddie know that by leaning your head against his shoulder while you sat at a table, eating funnel cake.

“Tired?” Eddie asked, leaning his head on your own.

You shook your head, closing your eyes. “No. Just happy.” You smiled. You had wrapped your arms around one of Eddie’s. Venom must’ve wanted to feel your touch as well, because you could feel him shifting from under Eddie’s sleeve.

“Us too. As you can tell.” Eddie laughed, teasing Venom lightly. You wondered what the symbiote thought about this new relationship, and how things would progress. You opened your eyes, going to ask just that, when someone caught your eye.

A man, walking and talking with a woman and two children. Your breath caught in your throat, and you felt as if you were going to vomit the contents of your stomach right then and there. That man...was from the Life Foundation… He wasn’t a part of the sector that captured you specifically, but he would visit often to check on your progress. You would never forget the face of the man who ignored your pleas and ordered more of the serum to be pumped into your veins. 

You rasped out a breath, tears already springing to your eyes. Your whole body tensed, and a nauseating fear ripped its way through your stomach. “...E-E- _ Eddie _ …” You whispered, swallowing the bile that threatened to breach your throat. 

Eddie shot up at your tone, immediately going on the defense. He cupped your face. “Sweetheart? What is it, what’s wrong?” He urged, wiping some of your tears and urging you to look at him. You couldn’t though. You couldn’t take your eyes off the man. The tears came harder now, and you were on the brink of either hyperventilating, or passing out from not taking a single breath. Eddie followed your gaze, looking around for what you could possibly be staring at, when he saw the man with his family and paused. He looked back at you, and the man again, before finally turning back to you, and whispering. “Is that one of them?” He asked, his tone serious and seething with anger.

You managed a weak nod, before breaking down into tears. Eddie quickly pulled you into his chest to silence your cries, hoping to hide your face as well. “Shh...It’s okay. We’re gonna get you somewhere safe. Here, baby. Stand up, we’re leaving.” Eddie pulled you to your feet, putting an arm protectively around your waist and storming away to the nearest dark corner - forgetting about your food and drinks left on the table. You somehow were coherent enough to hold a hand over your face to protect your identity, your other hand clutching the teddy bear like a child needing their favorite toy to offer more safety.

A few people looked your way but Eddie couldn’t care less. He had to get you out of there. You had no idea if the man had even seen you - you could’ve just been some random chick having a nervous breakdown, but Eddie couldn’t risk it. You left the carnival, and Eddie rushed you both over to an alleyway across the parking lot. Under the shroud of darkness, Eddie got to work.

“Venom, get us out of here.” He ordered, lifting you off your feet and holding you in his arms. Within a moment, you could feel your body shifting from sturdy arms to massive ones, as Venom took over. The symbiote held you close.

**_“Hold on tight, little one.”_ **

With amazing force, Venom jumped, racing up the walls of the alley and starting back towards Eddie’s apartment. Everything was a blur. You didn’t dare open your eyes again. All you could do was huddle in Venom’s chest and cry. 

**_“We will rip him limb from limb!”_ ** Venom roared - you knew without asking that this was his promise to you. You couldn’t even care about that right now. You were too focused on not throwing up hundreds of feet in the air of San Francisco. 

Within a few moments, you could feel the symbiote transform his frame from the solid body to a mass of tendrils. You had managed to open your eyes as Venom used this form to slide the apartment window open, and slip your body through with ease. Venom formed whole again, setting your body down as you clawed into his chest. 

“V-Venom...I...c-can’t bre-breathe.” You cried, starting to panic. Venom took two massive hands and cupped your face.

**_“Breathe with us. In, and out. Gently.”_ **

You closed your eyes, trying hard to follow his directions. Venom assured you that you were safe and away from the danger, while continuing to urge you to breathe with him. The symbiote stroked your head and wiped some tears away, and wiithin a few moments, you had managed to cease your hyperventilating into a soft sob with few hiccups.

**_“Good.”_ ** He cooed. You could feel the vowels rumble through his chest. Moving to hug Venom, he returned your embrace without hesitation. You buried your face into his neck, still sniffling.  **_“Should have never gone out. We are sorry, morsel.”_ **

You shook your head. “N-No, don’t be... I had so much fun tonight, really…” You sniffled again, and sat back on your haunches, looking into Venom’s eyes. “Wha-what are you gonna do now? You’re not going to leave, are you?” Your brow furrowed at the very thought. Venom noticed your concern, and immediately pressed his forehead to yours. 

**_“Will not leave. Don’t worry.”_ **

“Promise?” You asked, your eyes closed, trying to keep from having another breakdown.

**_“Yes.”_ **

You smiled, nodding softly against Venom’s forehead. A moment later, you were shocked to feel something against your lips. You opened your eyes to see Venom attempting to kiss you, forming something similar to lips over his massive rows of teeth. Too shocked to move, Venom backed up, with what looked like sadness etched across his face.

**_“Not good?”_ ** He asked.

Shaking your head, you brought your hands up to Venom’s face. “No. Very good. I was just surprised is all. Can we try again?” 

Venom purred with happiness, pressing his lips against yours again. The kiss was less desperate than Eddie’s, and in the back of your mind, you wondered what your parents would think about you kissing an alien symbiote - you know, if they were still alive. It felt...nice, though. It was nice to be wanted. Nice to be cared for. As the kiss became more heated, you could feel Venom begin to melt away, revealing Eddie’s form inside. Eddie wrapped his arms around you, kissing with more fervor, as if asking for your forgiveness with the action. You would give it to him, of course.  _ You would give anything for Eddie… _

Eddie pulled back and embraced you. “I’m so sorry, baby.” He whispered.

“I’m alright now, Eddie. Thank you, for protecting me.” You kissed his cheek, and he tilted his head to capture your lips once more. He rubbed your back soothingly before pulling away and kissing your forehead. You and Eddie stayed like that for some time, with Eddie reminding you that you were safe, and praising you for your strength in the moment. 

The whole ordeal had exhausted you, and you resigned to showering and getting ready for bed, even though it was only 10 pm. You left your teddy bear on the couch, as you did so. It still brought you happiness, even though you had such a scare. It was hard not to be paranoid - you’d asked Eddie if he could sit on a chair right outside the bathroom door and type on his laptop, which he did without hesitation. You would thank Eddie endlessly for how understanding he was. Venom too - who would periodically ask if you were alright through the bathroom door.

Once you were done, you crawled into the bed, feeling exhaustion permeate your limbs. Eddie sat on the edge of the mattress.

“I can leave the bedroom door open if you want. If that would help you feel safe.”

You considered it for a bit, before a thought crossed your mind. “Actually, um...Will you...Sleep with me? Here, in bed?” Eddie smiled.

“Of course.” 

After he too had showered and wound down, Eddie slipped into bed next to you. He was nearest to the door, and to the bedside lamp. He moved to turn it off when you gently stopped him.

“Can we leave it on?” You asked in a whisper.

“Of course, sweetheart.” Came Eddie’s reply. You moved to lie on your side, and Eddie almost instinctively wrapped an arm around your middle. “Is this okay?” He asked, rubbing circles on your hips.

You nodded, and moved to kiss Eddie once again. “Thank you, Eddie.”

“Get some rest, baby. We’re here.” He assured. You nodded once more, closing your eyes. You didn’t really want to go to sleep - you were still too scared to - but Eddie’s arm heavy on your side soothed you. And you really were exhausted from the events of the day. 

“Good night, Eddie. Good night, Venom.”

“ ** _Good nig_** ht, sweetheart.” Came their fused reply. You smiled, taking only a minute to ponder how they managed to do that, when sleep came to you easily, feeling Eddie’s soft breathing next to you. 


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You couldn’t help but smile, and said your good nights to Eddie and Venom. The bed was cool and eased your frazzled nerves. Your head swam with trying to think of what you would do next. Turn yourself over to the police? Go to the hospital? What if they turned you back over to the Life Foundation? You didn’t know who to trust. The only person you believed in anymore was Eddie, and if he didn’t want you...then what?

You woke up feeling warm, a weight heavy on your middle. Blinking your eyes open, consciousness slowly returned to you. Eddie’s sleeping form came into view. He was facing you, breathing steadily. A smile came to your face at the sight, but the memories of the night before quickly took that away. You couldn’t help but let your mind run away at the thought of the man you saw at the carnival noticing you. But it was dark, and he was surely distracted by his family and all the things going on around him. Surely there was no way for him to notice… You groaned, feeling your anxiety begin to build with your thoughts. A sigh passed through your nose. _What were you going to do now?_

A slithering sensation traveled up from your stomach, and you let out a small shriek from the way it tickled your skin. You looked down quickly, and saw black tendrils spreading across your middle, coming up to your chest. 

_“Venom…”_ You breathed out.

He began to form a small small head - nothing more than two white eyes peeking at you. **_“Good morning, darling.”_ ** You smiled. He started to pick up some of Eddie’s pet names. **_“Are you alright?”_ **

You nodded slightly. “Yes. I’m alright. Thank you, V.”

Venom slithered up to you, pressing himself to your lips - where his lips would be. You smiled, giving him a small peck. Eddie’s hand on your middle tightened its grip. “You guys having fun without me?” He asked, sleep heavy on his voice. You chuckled, blushing, and slapping Eddie lightly on his chest. 

“Haha, very funny.” You stretched, and Eddie kissed your forehead. 

“Sleep okay?” He asked.

You nodded your affirmative. “Yeah. I’m all good. Maybe we should...stay inside today, though.”

Eddie’s hand stroked your head to the nape of your neck. “Yeah… _You_ definitely should. I think Venom and I will go out later, though. See if we can find that guy. Get some more information.”

Your chest seized up with panic. “No! You can’t go, Eddie. Le-Let’s just leave them alone. Wait it out.”

Eddie frowned. “Baby, we can’t do that. We have to fight back. You can’t live in hiding forever.”

“I can! I can....” _With you, Eddie._ Is what you wanted to say, but stopped yourself. Eddie said he wanted to be with you...but... _for how long?_

The brunet shook his head, stroking your cheek with his thumb. “You know that’s no way to live.”

You sighed, defeated. Eddie was right, but you didn’t want to believe it. You couldn’t stay in Eddie’s small apartment for the rest of your life. Someday, you would have to leave. You tried not to think about when that day would come. 

Eddie kissed your forehead again, and you knew from the gesture that the conversation was over.

The rest of the day was quiet. You watched TV with Venom while Eddie typed up a plan to find the man from yesterday. You were apprehensive to be by yourself - both Anne and Dan were busy with work, and Anne would only be able to come around three hours after Eddie would be heading out. He had given her and Dan a spare key in case of emergencies, which did make you feel better. You managed to persuade Eddie to stay until 6 pm, but that was as late as he agreed. He wanted to make sure he could do an ample amount of investigating before it got too late.

You were stocked up with food and everything you would need, and you practiced using your ability before Eddie was set to leave. You were able to lift most things around the apartment without having blood trickle out of your nose. The heaviest yet was the couch - but you were only able to lift it a few inches before it fell (loudly) back down. 

The day came and went, and Eddie was getting ready to head out. He put on his jacket, and you sat nervously on the couch. Turning to face you, he gave you a small smile, before walking over and kissing you softly. 

“I’ll be back by midnight. I promise. Anne will be here in a few hours. Just keep the doors locked, you’ll be alright.”

You smiled back, not really feeling alright at all. “Okay.” You replied. 

Eddie kissed you once more - he and Venom said their goodbyes, and left out the door. You immediately locked it as soon as it closed. 

A breath escaped you, and your eyes slipped shut. _You could do this._ Eddie had left you alone before. This wasn’t all that different. The man would never find you. He didn’t even see you. You. Were. Safe.

You tried over and over again to convince yourself of this. Thinking you needed to distract yourself for the next few hours, you went to plop yourself down on the couch. A few minutes passed of you mindlessly watching TV, listening to every bump and creak in the apartment. Someone seemed to be having an argument down the hall, and the loud shouting only spiked your anxiety. Your heart rate was picking up, no matter how hard you tried to breathe deeply to calm it. 

Becoming lost in thought, you didn’t notice the way the electricity in the apartment matched your current scattered mental state - the lights dimmed and brightened, and the TV became flooded with static. You bit your nails. _He didn’t see me, he didn’t see me, Eddie will be back soon, Anne will be here soon, you’re safe, you’re safe, you’re-_

You blinked and gasped, realizing that in your deep thinking, you had caused a large amount of objects around the apartment to levitate and react to your anxiety. The moment you snapped out of it, several plates, books, cups, and even the toaster, clattered back onto the counter, some of them shattering in the process.

“Fuck!” You shouted, slamming your fists down on your thighs and burying your head in your hands. _What the fuck is wrong with you?! Eddie’s gonna hate you for this! He’s going to throw you out!_

Tears began springing to the corners of your eyes. One part of you knew you were being irrational. But the other, louder, and more menacing part, was shouting to you all of the terrible things Eddie would say and do when he found out. You began to break down, crying hard on the couch. You cursed yourself for being so needy of Eddie. _He was never going to want to date a crybaby like you._

“Shut up!” You screamed, slamming your hands over your ears, in an attempt to drown out the ambush of thoughts. Minutes passed by with you stuck in that position - head clenched between your hands and curled in on yourself on the couch. You had tired yourself out from crying, and your mind had blurred into a mess. 

A thought about cleaning up the dishes that had shattered crossed your mind, but your legs refused to carry you. An attempt at standing only brought you crumbling down on the carpet. You hardly reacted to the impact and just laid there, thinking of how you were nothing but trouble for Eddie. _How you were nothing._ Seeing how there was nothing else to do, your eyes slipped shut, and you fell asleep right then and there on the floor.

\----------------------------------

You awoke abruptly to the sound of banging on the door. You shot up, feeling a nauseating fear shoot through your whole body. Sweat stuck to your brow, and you thought you would vomit from the way your stomach was clenched in knots. 

“A-Anne?” You whispered. There was no way she would’ve heard that, but something told you that wasn’t her anyways. 

You couldn’t move, couldn’t even breathe as the banging continued to sound out. Without any other warning, the door slammed open, crashing into the wall beside it. You were a trembling mess as a figure walked through the door frame, slowly and menacingly…The figure’s face came into view in the light of the apartment. It was without a doubt, the man from the other day. 

A shuddering breath escaped your lips as he walked into the apartment. He looked around, studying the surroundings, with an amused look on his face. He made a humming sound of approval before speaking.

“Cozy. You’ve found yourself a nice hiding place haven’t you?” HIs voice was cold and taunting. You didn’t respond. _Couldn’t_ respond. The man walked closer.

“Well, your time playing house is over. You’ll be coming back with me. Back where you belong.”

This proposition helped you find your voice. “N-No…” You uttered, it was small, more a plea than a response; the man merely raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, but you must. Unless you want me to do something drastic.”

“I’m n-not scared of you. I’d rather die than go back.” The quiver in your voice betrayed you.

“I know, my dear. You’re not scared. Not scared of losing your life. But I know what you are scared of losing.” A knock sounded out, but it wasn’t the man who did so. Your eyes traveled from him to another man who walked in the door, holding a bloodied and beaten body. 

Holding... _Eddie._

You screamed, trying to approach Eddie’s body, but the man held out a hand to stop you. “He’s still alive. If you don’t come with me I’ll kill him, you know I will.”

Rage and fear burned in your chest, and you had had enough. You held out your hand to attack the man with your ability. You created a sweeping motion with your arm in an attempt to knock the man into the counter...but nothing happened.

“What…?” You tried again, trying to use the kitchen table instead of his body. But that didn’t move either. “Wh-why?” Tears began to fall from your eyes. 

Instead, the man in front of you held out his arm to you, and clenched his fist. You felt your body seize up, immobile under the man’s intent. “Don’t you see, silly girl? You are nothing but my toy. Mine to control.” He slammed his hand down, and you were slammed onto the floor. Helpless under his power, and terrified of what would come next, you began to scream, hard and loud. The man only loomed over you, saying one thing:

“Wake up, little one. Little morsel. Wake up. Wake up!”

You squirmed and struggled, letting out gasping breaths and screams.

“Wake up! You have to wake up, come on, baby, wake up!”

The voice was different now, it sounded like....

“Ed-Eddie...Eddie!!” You gasped, eyes still screwed shut.

You felt a hand on your face, cool and soft. “I’m here. I’m here. Open your eyes, baby. Look at me, I’m here!”

You gasped so hard it hurt your chest, feeling like your heart seized up. Blinking your eyes open, you could barely make out of the forms of Eddie and Anne. Everything was fuzzy, and blurred, and you were sweaty and confused.

“Edi...Eddie…! Can’t move! Please, I can’t move!” You cried. The tears streamed down your face, and Eddie placed both hands on either side of your head. 

“Calm down, darlin’. You have to calm down, first. Breathe.” Eddie urged.

His scent enveloped you, and you let out a shaky breath. Another hand stroked your head. “You’re alright. It was a nightmare. You’re alright.” Anne said. Her voice was smooth and warm. 

You finally managed to calm down a bit, urging your eyes to stay open. You blinked some more tears away, and the faces of Eddie and Anne ran clear in your sight. “Eddie... You’re alive! You’re okay!”

Eddie kissed your forehead. Wiping more tears away. “I’m fine, baby. You were having a nightmare. It wasn’t real. Everything is fine.” He assured. 

You tried to move, and still found you couldn’t. “Wh-Why can’t I move, Eddie?”

Looking down at yourself, you saw a mass of black tendrils were wrapping around you. You also noticed that you were no longer on the ground, but on the couch. Venom was holding you down. He unwrapped himself from your body, forming next to Eddie. 

**_“We had to keep you still, morsel. Didn’t want you to hurt yourself.”_ **The symbiote explained.

“Hurt myself?” You repeated, sitting up slowly. Your eyes drifted from Venom, Eddie, and Anne, to the rest of the apartment. Everything was a mess. The kitchen table was knocked over, cabinets were open, dishes were broken on the floor. Bigger objects like the TV and the couch seemed to be fine, but were still strewn about the room. A lump formed in your throat. “What happened?” You croaked, and looked to Eddie and Anne for an answer.

Anne spoke first. “I got here around 9:15. I knocked on the door, and when you didn’t respond I opened it.” She paused, frowning, before looking to Eddie, and then back to you. “When I got in here you were...levitating, and screaming. Your powers were out of control, and you wouldn’t wake up no matter what I said or did. I had to call Eddie.” She explained. 

Your eyes widened. You were mortified. “Ed-Eddie, I’m so sorry! I messed up everything! I ruined the apartment!” You cried.

Eddie took your hands in his own, smiling softly. “Darlin’ all that stuff can be replaced. I’m just glad you’re okay.” He moved to hug you, and you eased in his embrace. Anne rubbed your back as the two of you held each other. 

Eddie recommended you get yourself cleaned up before attempting to help clean up the house. You nodded, moving slowly from the couch into the bathroom. You looked like a mess. Eyes puffy from tears, sweat clinging to your face. Your skin was visibly blotchy, and a trail of blood had dripped from your nose down to your chin from the strain. It looked like someone had tried to wipe it at some point - it was spread slightly to one of your cheeks. You sniffled again before running some cold water. Cupping your hands, you lowered your face to the water, letting the blood and salty tears run off your face. The cool sensation eased your burning skin, and after a few moments you found yourself much calmer than before. 

You dried your face on your shirt, and went to go help clean up. You were about to emerge from the bathroom when you heard Anne and Eddie talking in low tones.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Anne whispered. “You look tired, Eddie.”

An audible sigh was heard from the man. “I am tired. But I have to see this through. I can’t leave her on her own.”

“You’re pushing yourself too hard. It’s difficult to care for someone else who can’t care for themselves. Maybe just...Maybe we can find some other help for her.”

Your heart dropped, and your mouth went dry, tasting of cotton. _How could Anne say that?_

Though... you knew it was true. You couldn’t take much care of yourself, and maybe you were putting more stress on Eddie than you realized…

“I don’t know. I’ll try thinking about it. I’d like her to...stay with me, though. Thank you for coming over and helping, Annie.”

“Of course.” Came Anne’s smooth reply. 

You hid behind the corner for several more moments, feeling the guilt claw its way up your body. Maybe… Maybe Anne was right. Maybe you would be better off in the hands of the police, or the FBI, or something. But the idea of being in another government lab, voluntarily or not, seemed like a doomed fate. After swallowing hard, you emerged from around the corner, putting on a fake smile for the two in front of you.

Anne returned your smile.“Feeling better, hun?”

You nodded. “Yeah, thank you.” You tried putting more energy into your voice, but couldn’t hide the way it wavered.

“Would you like to go to bed? We can get this place cleaned up.” Eddie offered.

“No, I should help. I caused this mess. It’s the least I can do.” You looked down at the floor, pieces of ceramic plates littered the floor.

Eddie didn’t press you, and you were grateful. 

The rest of the night the four of you, Venom included, helped to clean up the rest of the apartment. By the time you finished it was nearing midnight. Anne said her goodbyes, giving both of you and Eddie a hug before she left. You thanked her again as Eddie closed the apartment door. 

You attempted to avoid Eddie’s gaze - you had already apologized profusely, and even though you wanted to ask him further about whether or not he wanted you to leave, the words refused to form on your tongue.

You let out a sigh and turned towards the bedroom.

“You must be tired, huh, sweetheart?” Eddie’s arms slipped around your middle, and he kissed the back of your head. 

You merely nodded, letting out an affirmative sound. He rubbed your shoulder.

“Why don’t you get some rest? I’m gonna stay up for a bit longer.”

You turned to face him. “Will you sleep with me again?” You asked in a small voice.

“‘Course I will.” 

You couldn’t help but smile, and said your good nights to Eddie and Venom. The bed was cool and eased your frazzled nerves. Your head swam with trying to think of what you would do next. Turn yourself over to the police? Go to the hospital? What if they turned you back over to the Life Foundation? You didn’t know who to trust. The only person you believed in anymore was Eddie, and if he didn’t want you... _then what?_

Your eyes stung at the thought, and anxiety made your heart pound. As hard as you tried to think logically, you couldn’t help but let the darker thoughts take hold. Sleep didn’t come to you for many hours, and when it did it was dark and dreamless. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Heavy rain on the window woke you up several hours later. A dull sensation lurked behind your eyes as you regained consciousness. Eddie’s arm was slung over your middle, and his intense body heat made your back damp with sweat. You sighed, feeling languid at his presence, grateful that he did in fact come to bed with you last night. Almost immediately, your actions from the other day came back to you, and you groaned in a mixture of embarrassment and guilt. 

The white noise of the rain kept you in a state of limbo for several minutes, until a stirring was felt from behind you. Eddie groaned into the back of your neck. 

“Mmmm, good morning.” He said, sleepily.

“Good morning. How’d you know I was awake?”

“Venom told me.” A kiss was placed on the back of your neck. “You’ve been up for a bit. Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” You answered a little too quickly. 

**_“Not fine. Your heart is fast, morsel.”_ ** Venom commented, flowing out of Eddie lazily.

Curse Venom for being so observant...You ignored it, not knowing how to respond. Eddie called your name, tensing a bit.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” 

You inhaled deeply, before responding. “I just...do you...really want me here, Eddie?”

Eddie paused. “Of course I do.”

Your heart ached, and you stared straight ahead at the door to the bedroom. “I-If I’m stressing you out, I can leave. I can find somewhere else to go.”

Eddie sat up a bit, shifting his weight in the bed to try and look at your face. You responded by turning more into the pillow. “What? No, you can stay here as long as you need.”

“It’s just...I heard you, talking to Anne last night. I’ve caused nothing but trouble since I got here. Doing nothing but ruining things for you. I think I should go.” A lump had formed in your throat, and it was getting harder to speak. 

“It’s not you, baby. I know it was an accident. I’m just...worried. Worried we won’t be able to track down the other Life Foundation members. Worried we won’t be able to bring you the peace of mind you deserve”

You sniffled, the tears about to fall, but not quite yet. “You said it yourself; I can’t stay in hiding for the rest of my life. I can go somewhere else. You can have a life without me.”

Eddie put a hand on your shoulder, urging you to look at him. You let yourself be moved, but held your eyes shut, unable to look Eddie in the face. A few tears had sprung free. “I _don’t want_ a life without you.” He assured. You shook your head.

“Y-You can find another girl. Someone better, an-and prettier than me. Someone who doesn’t cause you trouble. Someone who deserves you, Eddie.” Your eyes were still screwed shut, but Eddie had placed a hand on your cheek. Your voice quivered, and you stumbled over your next words. “I should’ve never let this happen. I sho-should’ve never fallen for you...Then this wouldn’t hurt so much…”

The brunet’s breath hitched. “You...Do you...love me?”

You let out a sob, trembling underneath him. 

“So much…” You confessed in a whisper. “I l-love you so mu-”

Eddie silenced you with a kiss, pressing into you incessantly. You let yourself be taken, wrapping your arms around his neck as he placed a hand on your hip. Eddie kissed you fervently, trapping all your cries with his lips. 

“I love you.” A kiss. “I love you.” Eddie admitted, kissing you desperately. He slid his tongue into your mouth and you gasped, letting him in. His other hand trailed from your hip up to your stomach, as he ground his body down onto you. You keened into Eddie’s mouth, the action a delicious pressure between your thighs. Eddie leaned above you, breathless, and a bit red.

“I want you...Is that okay?” He asked, waiting for your permission.

You clenched your thighs on instinct, blinking your eyes up at Eddie. “I-It’s been a while...I don’t know if...m-my body isn’t p-pretty. I have scars…”

Eddie kissed your cheek. “I don’t care about any of that. If you let me, I will love every inch of you.” 

His serious tone brought heat to your whole body. You definitely wanted it, wanted _him._ “Yes…Please...” You breathed.

That was all Eddie needed. He captured your lips once more before moving to your neck, then sternum. A hand went to your shirt, traveling under to your breasts. Rough fingers found a hardening nipple, and you let out a cry of surprise. Eddie groaned in approval.

“You’re so sensitive, baby.” He murmured, lifting your shirt to reveal your chest. You had the urge to hide yourself - a few scars from your time in containment littered your upper body. Eddie, true to his word, didn’t react to the bumps in your flesh. He took his time, kissing each one he could reach, while using his hands to pinch your nipples.

You bit your lip, trying to keep from crying out too much. You felt like the stimulation alone would be enough for you to come. 

Eddie made his way down your body, kissing your tummy, before reaching your pajama pants. “Can I take them off?” 

Your face was flushed, and you took a minute to catch your breath. “...Please, Eddie…”

He obliged, grabbing the waistband of your pants, and pulling them off. You noticed, underneath his own pants, he was hard, tenting against the material of his bottoms. Eddie grabbed one of your thighs, spreading you, and kissing along the length of your skin. You whined, pushing your body up slightly, a silent plea for him to put his mouth where you really wanted. Eddie teased you, nibbling softly on the skin of your inner thigh. 

“Oh! Eddie, please, please…”

“Shhh.” He hushed, moving up to kiss you again. “I’ve got you, sweetheart.” He took a hand, running it along the waistband of your panties, before dipping lower to cup your sex. Your head tipped back in a gasp, and Eddie took the opportunity to kiss the exposed skin of your neck. “Can we taste you?” He asked. Your head was so fuzzy, you didn’t even notice Eddie’s use of the word ‘we’. You instinctively pushed your hips upward. 

“Yes, Eddie, please…” 

He moved his way back down your body, hovering over you like a predator. He slowly pulled the offending material off of you, groaning at the way a trail of slick had coated your lower lips.

“Oh, sweetheart.” He said, his voice a low, rolling rumble. “Is this all for me?”

You couldn’t even respond, trembling slightly, eyes shut in anticipation. One of your hands gripped the pillow next to you, while the other scrambled for purchase in the sheets. You heard a deep inhale, and was about to comment on the idea of Eddie smelling your arousal, when the sight before your eyes made you fall silent.

Instead of Eddie between your thighs, was the hulking form of Venom. His tongue dripping onto the sheets, and a look of hunger across his face.

“V-Venom!” You squeaked, surprised, but not moving away.

**_“Remember what we said, morsel - we would eat you in the way you would enjoy.”_ **

Before you could process what was happening, Venom licked a long stripe up your pussy. A cry erupted from your throat, your head shooting backwards into the pillow.. Venom took two massive hands and placed your thighs on his shoulders, His tongue went from licking and teasing your outside, to slowly snaking inside your entrance. 

“Oh!” You moaned, not knowing if you wanted to run away or push into the sensation. Venom had decided for you, however, keeping you trapped on his tongue as his large hands held you down by your middle.

 **_“We knew you would be delicious, little morsel. Could smell it.”_ **You barely took the time to register how Venom could be talking to you with his mouth occupied, but when his tongue seemed to stretch and push deeper, you found you didn’t care. 

Venom let out a rumbling purr, and you felt the vibration inside you. You damn near sobbed, feeling that you were so close to release. Venom had started fucking you on his tongue, impaling you with the appendage, while you were trapped under his massive frame. 

You bit your lip, keening loudly as Venom brushed a pleasurable spot inside you. He knew it too, starting to focus only on that spot. Another cry left you as you suddenly felt two thin tendrils find their way to your nipples, pulling and pinching relentlessly. 

“N-No, Venom! Too much, I can’t!” 

**_“You can, morsel. And you will. Be a good girl and take it all.”_ **

You clenched involuntarily at Venom calling you good. You had never thought you had a praise kink, but now...Like a true predator, Venom chuckled lowly.

 **_“Oh, darling. Do you like being good for us?”_ **Venom pushed further inside you, faster than anything you had experienced. Tears were falling from your eyes again, but out of pleasure this time.

“Y-Yes. I’ll be good, Venom! For you, just p-please…”

Venom groaned in approval, reaching a hand back down to rub at your clit. You moaned, trying to close your legs, but the symbiote’s massive shoulders kept them spread wide.

“Please! Venom! I’m...I’m going to--!”

 **_“Come for us. Come on our tongue. Now!”_ **Venom commanded. With a few rubs of his large fingers and the feeling of him inside you, you did just that. Your mouth opened in a silent scream, coming hard and leaving you breathless. Venom fucked you through the orgasm, only stopping when you were a shaking mess. He pulled his tongue out of your slowly, making you whimper at the overstimulation and the loss of the stretch.

 **_“Good girl.”_ ** Venom purred, running his hands up your hips. You panted, struggling to catch your breath. There were stars behind your eyes, and you were so lost in the aftershock that you didn’t notice when Venom faded away and Eddie came back to the forefront. More human hands grabbed your hips, kissing your abdomen, before running a finger along your release. You cried, opening your eyes to look at Eddie.

“You did so well, baby. Do you have one more in you?” He asked. His other hand had already dipped into his pants, stroking himself slowly. 

Despite feeling drained from one orgasm, you found yourself nodding anyway.

“Say it.” Eddie urged.

‘I...I want you, Eddie. I want to feel you inside, too.”

Eddie smiled, leaning up to give you a quick peck on the nose before he leaned over to the nightstand. He pulled out a condom and ripped it open with his teeth before rolling onto his hardened cock. He positioned himself at your entrance, taking one of his hands and entwining it with yours.

“Ready?”

You nodded, face red. “Yes.”

In one smooth motion, Eddie pushed in. He was slow, and the sensation was a delicious stretch that had you groaning into the man’s mouth as he bottomed out. He held his position for a few moments, his forehead pressed to your own. You clenched a bit around him, and pushed up. Eddie took that as his cue to start moving. 

His thrusts were slow, but deep, and he rubbed all the best spots with an ease you could only imagine he knew from the way Venom fucked you earlier. 

“Faster, Eddie.” You pleaded, holding his hand tightly. 

Thankfully, Eddie obliged, picking up the pace slightly. He leaned over to nibble on your neck and shoulders, before murmuring in your ear.

“You’re so beautiful, baby. Fucking amazing, you’re perfect.”

You whined under the praise, shutting your eyes again and relishing the pleasure. Eddie’s other hand teased your nipple, as his thrusts began to get rougher and more desperate. Even though you had just come moments ago, you could feel another orgasm building. The brunet above you must’ve noticed, because he started moving frustratingly slowly.

“E-Eddie, please! I’m close.” You admitted. Eddie took his hand and held it on your cheek.

“Look at me, sweetheart. I want to see you.” You blinked your eyes open. They were red, and glassy with tears that threatened to fall again. Eddie looked at you with reverence. “You’re so beautiful.” He repeated. “You deserve to be loved.”

Your breath hitched, brow furrowing slightly, and Eddie’s heart broke with the idea that you didn’t believe him. His thrusts slowed to a crawl.

“I want you to say it, baby.”

“Eddie…” You pleaded, squeezing his hand and the damp sheets below you.

“Come on, gorgeous. Say it, and I’ll let you come.”

Your head fell back with a small thud on the pillow, biting your lip before letting out a quivering statement. “I...I’m b-beautiful...And I deserve to be loved...” The rest of it came out in a whisper, as if you were talking to yourself. Eddie rewarded you by snapping his hips forward into your tight heat, moving faster.

“That’s my good girl.” He praised. “Tell me how you’re needed, and not a bother.”

“Please…” Tears had started to fall now, but Eddie didn’t let up, kissing them away. 

“You can do it, baby. Come on.”

“...I’m n-needed, and n- not a bother…” You were practically sobbing again. Eddie shushed you, increasing the speed of his thrusts again. He kissed you, tipping your head back with one hand and pushing his tongue into your mouth with the other. It seemed he was close too; his thrusts were becoming desperate.

“Now, tell me how happy you make me. How I want you here.” Eddie’s own voice had begun to quiver, and you opened your eyes, surprised to see his own wet with tears. This broke the floodgates. With desperation, you leaned up and latched onto Eddie. He followed you down, not slowing his speed, as you obeyed.

“I make you happy...” You let out a rough, short laugh in between your crying. “And you want me here!” You finished, the admittance making you break back down. 

Eddie began moving roughly, pushing into you and sniffling. “You make me so, so happy.” It only took a few more thrusts to bring you over the edge, Eddie’s name spilling from your lips like a prayer. Your orgasm brought Eddie to his own release, letting out a few more harsh thrusts before stilling and emptying inside the condom. 

He collapsed on top of you, his heavy breathing matching yours. He twisted his head to kiss away some more of your tears, while Venom pooled out of his skin, forming a hand to hold onto your own.

“I love you.” He whispered.

You smiled and sniffled. “I love you too, Eddie.”

You laid in silence, listening to the sound of each other breathing, until Eddie pulled out and disposed of the condom. He came back to the bed, pulling the sheets over you both.

“Let’s stay in, just a bit longer.” He said, embracing you, and pulling you into his chest.

“What are we gonna do next? About the foundation?” You whispered. You snuggled up to him, feeling safe with his form against yours. Venom had wrapped himself around your hip, adding to the sense of security. 

Eddie shook his head softly. “Sleep, baby. We’ll work through this. Together.”

You smiled and gave Eddie one final kiss before lying down. You didn’t know what would come next, what the future would hold. It would be dangerous, but with Eddie, you felt like you could do anything. It only took a few moments for you to fall back asleep. And for the first time in a long time, you slept peacefully, knowing you were safe with your two loves watching over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading my first fanfic! Hope you enjoyed. New works for different fandoms will be coming soon :)

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic! Hope you guys enjoy, will update every Thursday. Constructive criticism is welcome.


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